What's Happening?

We Just Wanna Have Some Fun, Down at the Rock and Roll Club

There are so many things that seem to have no reasonable answers. For example, why was Lower Canada called lower when it was clearly north of so-called Upper Canada? Or why was the 2010 remake of the Karate Kid set in Beijing with Mr. Han teaching kung-fu to Tre Parker? And for the love of all that is good and just in the universe, why did Zayn have to leave? While all these questions leave Prince Palu with much to ponder and rant about—and in the case of Zayn, shed a tear—none of them are as confusing to him as the young men and women who live in a city with such tremendous live musical offers as Montreal and yet they don't take advantage of it. Here are a few of his suggestions for what is happening this weekend.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Tonight the 15th Anniversary of everybody's favourite semi-subterranean bar, L'Escogriffe (4467 St-Denis), continues with a great triple bill presented by Analogue Addiction with the electro-folk- psychédélique yéyé of Il Danse avec Les Genoux, the low-fi bluesy garage-rock with pop melodies of Tang Soleil, and the post-punk of the vowel challenged Trstss. If you've never been to an Analogue Addiction show you really need to correct that. They have become one of the best party throwing agencies in town. It is never dull at one of their events and you get to give some love to L'Esco for a decade and a half of debaucherous memories. $6 admission, doors at 9:00.

Another great venue looking for some love tonight is Le Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent). The venue will be holding their third Levée de Son event to help raise funds in their fight against the ongoing noise complaint legal battle they are in with a neighbour. I mean seriously, who moves into an apartment above an existing music venue and then complains about noise? Anyway, Qualité Motel and their brand of electro-funk will join forces with the time-traveling electronica wizard Robert Robert in a fight against ridiculousness. Admission is $15.

If you were looking to get a little bit more involved and have a burning desire to show off your MC skills, then you need to check out the weekly happening that takes place every Thursday at Le Bleury-Bar à Vinyle (2109 Bleury) where live hip hop band Urban Science host Le Cypher, a hip hop soul jam session. The night will include DJ Andy Couchman spinning hip hop and old school funk all night long, a performance by the incredible beatboxer X-WAM at 9:00 and the jam session from 10:45 until closing. Boom J's Cuisine will also be there providing mouth-water Jamaican food. $4 at the door with $1 coat check.

If none of these options are loud, screechy and scary enough for you, then you might want to take a look-see at what is going down at Bar le "RITZ" PDB (179 Jean-Talon W.) where the stage will be filled with the industrial strength hardcore sounds that you need. Utah's Cult Leader and New Jersey's Old Wounds have joined forces and are touring together to frighten the elders and bring joy to the metal kids. Joining them will be a couple of home-grown ambassadors of crustcore, Dark Circles and Wrong Hands. If you are unsure of what any of this means, just to give you a little bit more understanding of where these dudes are coming from, Old Wounds have a song called "The Sharpest Knife for the Blackest Heart", and that pretty much sums up the sound that will be flowing onto the street up on Jean Talon tonight. Doors are at 8:00.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Very excited about the show being put on by Montreal Psych Fest at L'Esco on Friday with three great local purveyors of trippy music in vastly different ways. The heavy and spacey psychedelic of Uubbuurruu, the folk-noir-psych of Birds of Paradise, and the Syd Barrett-esque bedroom recordings of Trepanated Heads. Visuals will be done by Pink Veil. And in addition to the great music coming from the stage, DJ Tinsoldierman will provide an excellent blend of tunes before, in-between and after the bands. Doors at 9:00. $7 admission.

With the brilliant concept of collecting and performing songs about gangsters in the 1920s and 1930s from all over the world, Orkestar Kriminal is one of the most unique bands you are ever going to hear. While they are all lovely people individually, they do take on a sort of "gang of tough punks" reputation when playing these songs. With a whole slew of new songs added to the repertoire, they are launching their debut LP, Tummel (which means chaos in Yiddish), at Divan Orange. Joining them in the festivities will be none other than Mister Lantosh Lalonde with yet another musical project, Bella Morta Duo, which "draws from Astor Piazzola as much as it does from Motorhead." Sounds pretty amazing! You can buy tickets online or at the door for $10. Doors open at 8:30, show starts at 9:30.

If you are looking for a more futuristic sound for your Friday night, then Blue Skies Turn Black have got what you are looking for up at their home base of Bar le "RITZ" PDB where they will present a night of shoegazing ambient bliss with Etiquette, Programm, and Year of Glad.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Obviously the big ticket this weekend is the Will Butler two-night stand at Bar le "RITZ" PDB. Both nights have been sold out for a while, so if you don't already have a ticket you are S.O.L. Fortunately for you there is a great show happening at Katacombes (1635 St-Laurent) that is not sold out yet. New-wave, disco-funketeers Choses Sauvages are launching their latest EP, Japanese Jazz, for the incredible price of PWYC! They are also encouraging people to go to their Bandcamp and take the EP for free! These fellas just want you to get lost in the groove and have a good time, so why not return the favor and grab your friends and head down to the corner of Ontario and St-Laurent and boogie like your hair is on fire. And just because they are letting you get in for free and take the album for free doesn't mean that you have to. Throw them a few bones and thank them for the music. Joining them will be the no-wave punks Crabe and the minimalist-ambient duo Osismi. If you've never seen Choses Sauvages before, trust me, they will make you forget all about missing Will Butler.

If you are looking for something to do during the day this weekend, might I point you in the direction of Phonopolis Records (207 Bernard W.) and their Signs of Spring Sale with 20% off everything in the store, excluding concert tickets, Saturday and Sunday. And while you are in the neighbourhood, pop next door to Drawn & Quarterly and treat yourself to a new book or comic. Support independent record and book stores!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Recently I had a thought that it was unfair of me to seemingly always end the weekend with a more subdued, folky vibe, as if that was what everybody wants. Maybe you prefer to say goodbye to the weekend kicking and screaming. Well if you are the type of person who will not go quietly into the dying of the weekend light, then here are a few shows for you.

First up is the return of the Vancouver's Celtic punk legends The Real Mackenzies at Katacombes with fellow Vancity punks Isotopes, the self-proclaimed World's Greatest Baseball Punk Band, and local punk band Boids. If your need to slam dance away the on-coming Monday morning blues can't be fulfilled at this show, I don't know how to help you. $15 plus service fees at the door (WTF? Since when are there service fees at the door?) and the show begins at 8:30.

The second non-bluegrass or old-timey country show on Sunday that I will tell you about is the one being presented by Suoni Per Il Popolo at Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent). This show is exactly what you'd expect from the good people at Suoni, strange experimental rock that can get really loud and also get really mellow. Headliners The Ukiah Drag hail from the same swampy part of Florida that birthed Merchandise, but now are based out of Providence, RI and are finishing up their tour in support of their latest release, In The Reapers. Opening the night will be a couple of local bands that will fit in quite nicely, No.Negative and Dead Beat Poet Society. Doors are at 8:00 with a $6-10 sliding scale cover (WTF!? What is it about this Sunday that no one is willing to just say, "this is what the ticket costs"?)

Now of course there is always the Old Time Country & Bluegrass Jam at Barfly (4062 St-Laurent) if you are more like me and want to wind the weekend down with a little twang.